Android devices to auto-restart if locked for 3 days: why does it matter?

Google is rolling out a new security feature that reboots Android devices if they remain locked for three consecutive days. This makes it much harder to access data from stolen but also seized devices.

The new feature is included in the Google Play services update released on Monday.

This follows reports that devices are vulnerable once they enter a so-called After First Unlock (AFU) mode.

Authorities use forensic tools such as Cellebrite software to unlock and extract data from smartphones in the AFU mode, and multiple exploits also exist in the wild, as Cybernews reported previously.

Google follows Apple’s example, which introduced the feature “Inactivity reboot” with the iOS 18.1 update last year.

The updates make it harder to extract data from devices. Once a device reboots after a set time period, it enters the Before First Unlock (BFU) mode, which keeps certain data encrypted until the user unlocks it.

Unlocking a device in the BFU mode requires entering a passcode – it doesn’t allow biometric login.

While the new feature reduces the likelihood of a stolen or seized device being unlocked, modern forensic tools usually take less than an hour to unlock a phone.

The FBI previously used Cellebrite to crack the Donald Trump shooter’s phone in 40 minutes.

Many exploits target vulnerabilities in bootloaders or USB ports during active use.

“Even the most secure smartphones can be exploited when stolen or lost,” the Group-IB researchers previously warned.

“These bypasses are often temporary, lasting only until a firmware reset or update. However, they provide enough time for attackers to resell stolen devices as fully functioning smartphones.”